July 11, 2012 10:00pm EDTJuly 11, 2012 7:43pm EDTShea Weber and the Nashville Predators are expected to discuss a new contract next week.

Staff report

Published on Jul. 11, 2012

Jul. 11, 2012

Shea Weber and the Nashville Predators are expected to discuss a new contract next week.

General manager David Poile told The Tennessean that talks with the defenseman’s representative have been going well.

“I talked to (agent) Jarrett (Bousquet) yesterday (Tuesday) and had a good conversation,” Poile told The Tennessean. “Shea and all his friends and people will be together this weekend for his charity golf tournament in his name in Sicamous (British Columbia). They’re going to be doing that and then we’re going to talk next week.”

Weber, the team’s captain, is a restricted free agent.

“It’s all about talking about Shea and to see if we can get him signed to a longer-term contract with the Predators,” Poile told The Tennessean. “My conversations have always been very positive with Shea, his role and his future with the organization in terms of where the franchise is going.”

The Predators have already suffered a huge loss to their blueline with Ryan Suter’s departure for the Minnesota Wild. Suter again apologized this week for the pain he caused Nashville.

“I wanted it to work in Nashville, but the decision I made was to move on, and I’m sorry for the hurt that it has brought to David Poile and to the Predators,” Suter told The Tennessean.

On the day of the signing, Poile said he was “disappointed” and “surprised” by Suter’s decision.

The team did retain veteran defenseman Hal Gill before the free agency period started. It later lost out on free-agent defenseman Matt Carle, who signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning.